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Feb. 14. 1956 B. 1-1. LONG LEAF STRETCH ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR CIGAR WRAPPING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 2, 1952 lHlllll I] ll Benjamin 15 .2072

Feb. 14, 1956 Filed Dec. 2, 1952 B. H. LONG LEAF STRETCH ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR CIGAR WRAPPING MACHINES 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Feb. 14. 1956 B. H. LONG 2 LEAF STRETCH ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR CIGAR WRAPPING MACHINES Filed Dec. 2, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 mmzi? s Benjamin flZflW Feb. 14. 1956 B. H. LONG 2,734,512

LEAF'STRETCH ADJUSTING MECHANISM FOR CIGAR WRAPPING MACHINES Filed Dec. 2, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 j Ben mmzzflZa Lag 33/ United States Patent Office 2,734,512 Patented Feb. 14, 1956 LEAF STRETCH ADJUSTING MECHANISM non CIGAR WRAPPING MAcrnNus Benjamin H, Long, Roselle, N. J., assignor to Tobacco Machine Supply Company, Inc., a corporation of New Jersey Application December 2, 1952, Serial No. 323,5?4

4 Claims. (Cl. ISL-=33) This invention relates in general to cigar wrapping machines of the general type disclosed in Patent No. 2,601,856 granted on July 1, 1952, to William J. Giles, assignor, the machine including a bunch carrier which carries a bunch from a bunch conveyor to a leaf or wrapper die and moves the bunch laterally over the wrapper while simultaneously rotating the bunch to wind or roll the wrapper thereon. In machines of this type, the hunch is rotated about its longitudinal axis at a ratio to the linear movement of the bunch over the wrapper die such as to obtain the desired stretch of the leaf as the latter is wrapped onto the bunch.

Considerable difficulty has been encountered in attempting to adjust said ratio of rotation of the bunch to the linear movement of the bunch but it is highly desirable that said ratio be variable at the will of the operator to vary the stretch in the leaf depending upon various conditions such as the thickness of the leaf, the tightness of wrapping of the leaf, etc. Therefore, a prime object of the present invention is to provide novel and improved means in a cigar wrapping machine of this type whereby the stretch of the leaf can be easily and quickly varied whenever desired by the operator even during the operation of the machine.

Another object is to provide such stretch adjusting means whereby the stretch can be varied at both or either of the beginning and end of the wrapping operation.

A further object is to provide stretch adjusting mechanism of the character described which shall require only the turning of a thumbscrew to achieve the desired adjustment and which will permit the adjustment to be made in infinite number of minute steps from a miximum to a minimum.

Other objects, advantages and results of the invention will be brought out by the following description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is a schematic top plan view of portions of a cigar wrapping machine including a stretch adjusting mechanism constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view thereof with portions of the bunch carrier shown in transverse section, and illustrating the bunch carrier at the beginning of the wrapping operation as shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged side elevational view of the adjusting device with portions of the connection of the adjusting device to the bunch rolling mechanism broken away; a

Figure 4- is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the bunch carrier at the limit of its movement opposite that shown in Figure 2 and in the position to receive a tobacco bunch from the bunch conveyor in preparation for the wrapping operation;

Figure 5 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view approximately on the plane of the line 55 of Figure 1;

Figure 6-is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view ap- Figure 7 is a vertical sectional view approximately on the plane of the line 77 of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a similar view approximately on the plane of the line 8-8 of Figure 5;

Figure 9 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse sectional view through the bunch rolling mechanism and illustrating the wrapping operation;

Figure 10 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view approximately on the plane of the line 10-10 of Figure 5.

Specifically describing the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the machine includes a main frame A which includes parallel guide rails 1 on which is mounted for linear movement the carriage 2 of a cigar rolling mechanism B. On said carriage is mounted a bunch carrier C whereby a tobacco bunch can be inserted into the carrier from a bunch conveyor D and said bunch may then be moved by linear movement of the carriage 2 to a position above a wrapper die E as shown in Figure 2, whereupon the bunch can be rotated in the carrier C while the carrier is linearly moved over the wrapper die toward its initial or loading position for applying a wrapper to the bunch.

Prior to the cigar rolling operation, a tobacco leaf is placed on the wrapper die and cut by pressing thereof against a knife blade on the die by rollers of a leaf pressing mechanism such as disclosed in the aforesaid patent to form a wrapper G for the bunch. The wrapper is held on the die by suction applied to the die in the usual way. During the cigar wrapping operation the wrapper is elevated in the die into juxtaposition to the bunch F in the bunch carrier when the latter is disposed above the die as shown in Figure 2; and the tuck. end of the wrapper is smoothly pressed against the tuck end of the bunch by tucking needle mechanism that is shown in said patent but omitted from the drawings of this application in the interests of simplicity, so that during continued rotation of the bunch in the carrier and simultaneous movement of the carrier over the die the wrapper will be wound on the bunch. When the head end of the bunch reaches the head end of the wrapper, commonly called the flag, a jet of compressed air forces the flag upwardly from the die to insure against tearing of the flag from the die by the bunch carrier. After the rolling operation the wrapped cigar is automatically discharged from the carrier as the latter moves to its loading position.

The present invention is concerned only with the mechanism for adjusting the stretch of the leaf as the leaf is wrapped on the bunch, and only as much of the remainder of the machine is shown and described as is necessary to make clear the operation of the stretch adjusting mechanism.

Now referring to the bunch carrier, it includes an auxiliary frame having a top piece 3 and end pieces 4 in which is journaled a shaft 5 that carries a fluted roller 6 with which cooperates two fluted rollers 7 for holding and rotating the bunch F. The two rollers 7 are mounted on shafts 3 which in turn are journaled in rocker bars 9 that are rockably mounted on shafts 16 so that the rollers 7 can be so related to the roller 6 as to grip the bunch between the rollers as shown in Figures 2, '7 and 9,v or said rolls can be swung apart to permit a bunch to be inserted into the carrier or discharged therefrom. The rollers are normally held in the bunch gripping position by tension springs 11, and at the proper time are actuated into bunch receiving or discharging positions by an actuator that has spaced fingers 12 (Figure 4) to cooperate with the respective arms 13 on the rocker bars 9 so as to swing the latter to separate the rolls 7 when the latter are in bunch receiving or bunch discharging positions. The actuator fingers 12 and their operation are the same as shown in the aforesaid patent, the fingers 12 being operatedv simultaneously with ejecting pins 14' that force the bunch upwardly from the bunch conveyor into the carrier simultaneously with the separation of the rollers 7 as shown in Figure 4.

The hunch is rotated in the carrier through a pinion 15 on the shaft which meshes with idler pinions 16 on the shafts on which are pinions 17 which mesh with pinions 18 on the shafts 8 of the rollers 7. The shaft 5 is driven through a pinion 19 which meshes with a pinion 20 on a countershaft 21 that is journaled on a sub-frame 22 which is mounted on the top piece of the carrier frame. Preferably one of the end pieces for the carrier frame is mounted on this sub-frame. The countershaft 21 is driven through two pawl and ratchet devices 23 which are identical except that they are reversely arranged on the shaft so that they drive the shaft 21 in one direction regardless of direction of rotation of shaft 30 and bevel gear 29. As shown each pawl and ratchet device includes a body 24 pinned on the shaft 21 and carrying spring pawls 25 that cooperate with a ratchet 26 that is rigidly secured by keys 27 to a bevel pinion 28 that in turn meshes with a bevel gear 29 which is keyed on a stub shaft 30 on which is fastened a pinion 31 that meshes with a gear 32 on a support stud 33 that is connected to the top piece of the carrier frame 3 and secured in a bracket arm 34 that is shown connected to the carriage 2 which in turn has rollers 35 by which the carriage is mounted on the rails 1.

The gear 32 is driven by a pinion 36 which is rigidly connected to said gear and in turn meshes with a pinion 37 which is journaled on a stub shaft 38 that is secured in a bracket 39 which is in turn adjustably mounted on a sleeve 40 that is secured in the bracket arm 34 in telescopic relation to the stud 33 by a split clip or other suitable means 41. The pinion 37 meshes with a rack bar 42 that is longitudinally slidably mounted in a guide block 43 secured on the main frame A by hangers 44. The rack bar 42 is connected through a stretch adjusting mechanism to the main drive shaft of the machine. This connection is shown as including a link 45 that is pivotally connected at one end 46 to the rack bar and pivotally connected at its other end at 47 to a pivot block 48 which is slidably mounted in a guideway 49 in a crank arm 50 that has an integral boss 51 which is adjustably secured as by a set screw 52 on a countershaft 53. An adjusting screw '54 is rotatably but non-longitudinally movably mounted in the crank arm 50 and has'the pivot block 48 screw'threadedly connected thereto so that upon rotation of the screw, the pivot block may be'moved longitudinally of the crank arm toward and from the axis of rotation of the shaft 53. A finger piece 55 is attached to one end of the screw for convenience in rotating the screw. The link 45 preferably is longitudinally adjustable and is shown as formed preferably of relatively longitudinally adjustable sections.

The shaft 53 is oscillated by means of a sprocket '56 on the shaft and a sprocket 57 fast connected to a carriage operating arm 58 which is pivoted on a drive shaft 59 on which is keyed a cam 60. having a cam groove 61 in which is a follower roll 62 mounted on a lever 63 one end of which is pivoted on a stationary shaft 64 in the frame of the machine while the other end is connected by a link 65 to one end of the carriage operating arm 58. The two sprockets 56 and 57 are connected by a chain 66. The carriage operating arm 58 is connected by a link 67 to the carriage 2. The cam is continuously rotated from any suitable source, for example, from the motor which drives the machine, so that the carriage 2 is rolled alternately in opposite directions along the rails 1 and at the same time the crank arm 50 is oscillated.

Means is usually provided to prevent slipping of the wrapper on the die plate during the wrapping operation and to maintain the wrapping under tension. Such means is shown in the foresaidpatent and is illustrated most clearly in Figures 5 and 9 of this application. Atension plate 68 is provided which is pivotally mounted at 69 on bracket arms 70 which are secured on one of the shafts 10, the plate being normally influenced to swing downwardly into contact with the wrapper G on the die plate by a tension spring 71, movement of the plate in said direction being limited by suitable stop means such as an adjusting screw 72 carried by the plate to abut lug 73 on one of the brackets 70. The end of the tension plate adjacent the head end of the bunch has an upturned flange 74 to which the fiag of the wrapper slidably adheres when it is blown upwardly from the die plate so as to insure smooth wrapping of the flag on the bunch.

The usual heading roll and heading block are also provided but are not shown.

The operation of the machine may be generally described as follows: A leaf of tobacco is applied to the perforated plate at the top of the die E and cut in the usual way to form the wrapper, the die lift then being operated to raise the wrapper carrying portion of the die into position to be engaged by the bunch, the machine being started and stopped by suitable mechanism such as a one revolution clutch. Upon starting the machine, the bunches of tobacco are moved insuccession and intermittently by the bunch conveyor D to the loading position and the fingers 12 actuate the rocker bars 9 to separate the rolls 7 to receive the bunch as the latter is elevated by the pins 14. Upon retraction of the fingers 12 the rollers 7 and 6 grip the bunch. The carriage moves forwardly from the position shown in Figure 4 to the position shown in Figure 2 under influence of the cam 60 and arm 58. At this time the die plate will have been elevated as shown in Figure 2 and the tuck needle (not shown) will lift the end of the wrapper into contact with the bunch. Due to the two ratchet devices 23, the bunch will be rolled during its movement from the loading position to the die. After the tuck end of the wrapper has been moved into contact with the bunch, the carriage is moved in the opposite direction from the position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 4 and the fluted rolls are rotated in the direction to Wind the wrapper on the bunch through the rack bar 42 as the carriage moves along the rack (see Figs. 2, 5 and 7). In accordance with the invention the speed of the fiuted rolls may be varied as they are moved with the carriage over the die E so as to rotate the bunch faster than it is passing over the die so as to obtain the desired stretch in the leaf. This motion is produced by movement of the rack bar 42 in the opposite direction to the movement of the carriage through the link 45, crank arm 50, counter shaft 53, and chain and sprocket gearing 56, 57 and 66 from the drive shaft 59 moved in a direction opposite to that of the carriage so as to rotate the fluted rollers at such speed as to maintain the wrapper under tension, as generally shown and described in the aforesaid patent and the Giles et al. Patent No. 2,226,224 issued December 24, 1940. It should be understood that the crank arm 50 is oscillated by the chain and sprocket gearing 66 and that the crank arm 50 and link 45 initially will be set at such positions that the desired variation in the speed of rotation of the bunch rollers will occur only while the bunch is being moved over the die by the carriage. The other portions of the movement of the crank arm are immaterial in so far as variations inthe stretch'in the leaf are concerned. This rolling or wrapping of thewrapper on the hunch is best illustrated in Figure 9 of the drawings.

As the head end of the bunch 'approaches'the head end of the wrapper the die may or may not be swung by the lever to orient the flag end of thewrapper relatively to the bunch as described in the aforesaid patent, depending upon the nature of the cigar, and the flag of the wrapper is forced upwardly by a jet of air into contact with the flange 74 on the tension plate to which the leaf slidingly adheres due to the paste applied to it. The heading roll is then brought into'operation as usual to guide and iron the flag of the wrapper smoothly on the head of the bunch and the carriage continues to its position over the unloading station, where the heading roll is withdrawn and the fluted rolls 7 are moved apart to release the finished cigar which falls by gravity on to suitable guide plates (not shown) just ahead of the leading mold on the bunch conveyor D. The bunch carrier then continues its movement to its initial loading position and the next bunch to be wrapped will have been moved into the loading station by the bunch conveyor ready to be elevated into the bunch carrier for performance of the next wrapping operation.

In accordance with the invention when it is desired to adjust or vary the stretch in the leaf during the operation of the machine, it is merely necessary for the operator to rotate the finger piece 55 of the screw 54 so as to change the relationship of the pivot 47 to the axis of rotation of the shaft 53, the change in the length of the stroke of the pivot pin 47 being transmitted through the rack bar 42, pinion 37, gear 36, gear 32, pinions 31, 29 and 28, ratchet device 23, pinions 20, 19, 16, 17, to the fluted rolls 6 and 7 and thence to the bunch. This adjustment regulates the amount of change of stretch in the leaf. Further adjustment is possible through rotation of the crank arm 50 on the shaft 53. This adjustment regulates the time at which the change in stretch occurs. It will also be observed that the stretch adjusting mechanism also makes it possible to vary the stretch at the beginning and at the end of the wrapping operation, for example, to provide more stretch at the beginning and end of the operation than during the intermediate portions of the operation. The adjustment can be made in 'minute and infinite steps, either to increase or to decrease the tension on the wrapper.

It will be seen that this is in sharp contrast with the bunch rolling mechanism of the aforesaid patent as well as the Giles Patent No. 2,226,224 dated December 24, 1940 where adjustment of the stretch during operation of the machine is impossible and adjustment can be made only by stopping the machine and changing the cam that causes reciprocation of the rack bar. The crank arm 50 and its angular adjustability relative to the axis of the counter shaft 53 is highly important in regulating the time during which the stretch in the leaf is varied, while the adjustable pivotal connection 47 of the link 45 to the crank arm is important for providing minute and infinite steps of regulation of the tension or stretch in the leaf while the machine is in operation.

While the invention has been shown in certain structural details, it should be understood that this is primarily for the purpose of illustrating the now preferred embodiment of the invention and that the construction of the 7 machine can be widely modified and changed within the driving element and said rack bar including a crank arm and linkage pivotally connected at its opposite ends to said crank arm and said rack bar respectively, and means for adjusting the point of connection of said crank arm and said linkage to vary the tension on the wrapper.

2. A cigar wrapping machine comprising a wrappersupporting die, a rolling mechanism including a carriage linearly movable over said die, rollers on said carriage for rotating a bunch to be wrapped, and mechanism for driving said rollers including adjustably connected parts and means for relatively adjusting said parts selectively during operation thereof to rotate said rollers at different speeds and thereby to adjust the tension on the wrapper, said mechanism comprising a rack bar and means for reciprocating said rack bar including a revolvable driving shaft, a crank arm on said shaft, a pivot element adjustable longitudinally of said crank arm, and linkage connecting said pivot element to said rack bar.

3. A cigar wrapping machine comprising a wrappersupporting die, a rolling mechanism including a carriage linearly movable over said die, rollers on said carriage for rotating a bunch to be wrapped, and mechanism for driving said rollers including adjustably connected parts and means for relatively adjusting said parts selectively during operation thereof to rotate said rollers at different speeds and thereby to adjust the tension on the wrapper, said mechanism comprising a rack bar and means for reciprocating said rack bar including a revolvable driving shaft, a crank arm on said shaft, a pivot block slidable longitudinally of said crank arm, a' screw for adjusting said pivot block, and linkage pivotally connected at opposite ends to said pivot block and said rack bar respectively.

4. A cigar wrapping machine comprising a wrappersupporting die, a rolling mechanism including a carriage linearly movable over said die, rollers on said carriage for rotating a bunch to be wrapped, and mechanism for driving said rollers including adjustably connected parts and means for relatively adjusting said parts selectively during operation thereof to rotate said rollers at different speeds and thereby to adjust the tension on the wrapper, said mechanism comprising a rack bar and means for reciprocating said rack bar including a revolvable driving shaft, a crank arm on said shaft and linkage connecting said crank arm to said rack bar, with the addition of means for linearly moving said carriage including an operating arm oscillatable about an axis and connected at one end to said carriage, means for oscillating said operating arm, a sprocket connected to and movable with said operating arm about said axis, a sprocket on said driving shaft and a chain running over said sprockets whereby simultaneously to oscillate said crank arm and reciprocate said carriage.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

